Let's be real here.

After a semester of adjusting to college, finals loom over our heads as an unescapable terror. We've seen all of the Buzzfeed articles suggesting that final exams are akin to doomsday, we've read all of the tweets that show ice cream and bad chick flicks are the cure to the bad grades you've destined to get, and we've heard the buzz around class about fearing this exam.

I'm here to tell you that this is your first semester of college. Yes, final exams are important, but they are not life-changing. Furthermore, they are as hard as you want them to be.

Here is the key to doing well on your final exams: study throughout the course. In an ideal world, everyone would study after each and every class, do all homework and assigned readings thoroughly, and pay attention to every lecture. While this is an ideal, it is also what will make those final exams less daunting.

Now of course, final exams in a course that is particularly difficult for you will be difficult regardless of the effort that you put in, but the more you put in along the way, the less stressed you will be.

This first semester is our trial run. It is our way to see if our studying method is effective and to test out different subjects. With all of the buzz about final exams, it is easy to forget why you are at college.

You are at college to learn, not to get straight 100s all the time. You are at college to make friends, not to spend your entire time studying. Lastly, you are at college to develop as a person, not to sacrifice your health for an exam.

I hope everyone has a successful and prosperous final exam period. Good luck to you all. Remember to think twice before you pull that all-nighter or skip that gym time, meditation time, meal, or whatever you do that makes you feel at peace. Decide now to prepare for final exams all semester, so when they roll around, you can have as much fun and as little stress as you normally do.